Thread-unwinder.



A. H. DE VOE.

THREAD UNWINDEL APPLICATION r'u-:n MAY 5, 1916.

1 2 1 6,289.. Patented Feb. 20, 1917 WTVESS:

NVEVTO? m: mms FEYENS cu Manu-mm WASHING mu. u. c.

ALBERT H. DE VOE, OF WESTFIELD, NEW J ERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE SINGER MANIT- FACTUBING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

THREAD-UNWINDER.

Specfication of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 5, 1916. Serial No. 95,555.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, ALBERT H. DE Von, a citizen of the United States, residing at VVestfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thread-Unwvinders, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This nvention has for its object to facilitate the unwinding of the thread from a spool or cop without liablity of spilling 77 or detachment of loose coils from the mass of thread.

Heretofore it has been common to apply to the end of athread-spool a shield in the form of a disk having a smooth periphery overhangng the mass of thread to provide a lead of the thread outwardly to avoid resti-aint by engagement with adjacent coils. This eXpedient has been found effective while the edge of the disk remained smooth and bright to permit the thread to slide across and around the same in being drawn from the supply; but any roughness in the edge of the disk due to rust or other cause reduced the efi ectiveness of the device.

It has also been proposed to mount upon the spool or its support a rotary guide having an eye for passage of the thread or an arm adapted to engage the thread in its passage from the spool. In such case, a sudden pull upon the thread was liable to procluce a Whirl of the rotary guide at greater speed than the normal unwinding operation, thereby causing the objectionable splling referred to.

According to the present improvement the desrable features of both of these eXpedients have been incorporated in an unwinder comprising an exceedingly light, rotary shield-member having a spindle journaled for rotation axially of the mass of thread and a smooth rim overhangng the mass, the shield-member being normally stationary. 'As the thread is taken through a guide in substantially axial relation to the thread spool or cop, it is drawn across and circularly around the periphery of the shield member Without sufficient friction thereon to cause its rotation; but in case of any abnormal resistance to the unWnding by reason of the overlapping of the coils of thread or other means, the shield-member is caused by the friction of the thread thereon to rotate With the unwinding of the thread, its continuedrotation under monentum having no further effect upon the thread after the stran 'upon the latter has been relieved.

The invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in

which Figure l is a perspective View representing a spool of thread provided with an unwinder embodying the present improvement and resting upon a spool stand of a common form; and F g. 2 is an elevation of the same partly in section and with the thread-guide onitted.

As represented in the drawing, the mass of thread 1 is wound in coils upon a Wooden spool 2 of usual form having the central aperture 3 entered by the pin 4 extending upwardly from the base 5 of a spoolstand of well-known form. The base 5 has at one end the apertured boss (3 in which is Secured the lower end of the rod 7 having reduced upper end portion 8 terminating in the thread-eye 9 through which the thread 1 is led from the spool to a sewing machine.

Entering the aperture 3 of the spool is a plug 10 having at the upper end a flange ll resting upon the top of the spool and provided With an axial hearing socket 1 3. To insure strength, stifness and lightness, the rotary shield-member is preferably formed of a blank of hard wire having the body portion formed into a ring 14: with one eX- tremity lt' abutted against and preferably soldered to the angle with the other en tremity of an upwardly and inwardly extending arm 15 which terminates in a downwardly extending spindle 16 entering the hearing socket 13 and having a conical eX- tremity 17 resting upon the bottom of the socket 13.

The outer rim of the member 14 is continuous and perfectly smooth so that the coil being drawn from the spool is permitted to slide freely around it as it is drawn upwardly through the guide-eye 9; but in case the thread should be draw-n taut by reason of the adherence of the coil being unwound With another coil, or by an abnornal pull upon the thread from some other cause, the friction of the thread upon the ring 14 will be rendered inefi'ective as a resistance to unwinding by reason of the rotation of the ring thereby induced. As soon as the thread JPatented lFeb.. eu, leit.

becomes slackened, it Will merely rest against the rim of the ring 14 While the latter continues to rotate under its momentum but its unwinding Will not be hastened thereby because of the relief of the frictional contact and the omission of any shoulders upon the rotating member which could catch the thread and carry it around the spool.

The plug lO With its fiange 11 constitutes a holder or support to aiford an aXial bearing for the shield-member M which is disposed preferably at the level of the upper flange of the spool 2 so as to insure the lead of the thread in all cases Without objection- 15 able contact With said flange.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, What I claim herein is A spool-unwinder comprisng a rotary shield-member constructed of a Wire blank having its body portion forned into a ring With continuous outer rim and extending inwardly to the center of curvature of said ring and then axially downward to aford a stem, and a holder or support provided With a bearng socket to receive said sten and to sustain the same axially of the component coils of a mass of thread.

In testimony Whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ALBERT H. DE VOE.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

